All those Harvard guys the Browns have working for them are billed as being pretty smart. Browns head coach Hue Jackson says they’re smart.

And perhaps they are.

At least they are smart enough to have thrown everyone off their trail thus far.

No one – not even the so-called experts and insiders, not even Mel Kiper or Duane Kuiper – some to have any idea what the Browns are going to do in the opening round of the NFL Draft on Thursday night.

In the first part of this week, the Browns were supposedly hot to trot for Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch.

Yes, quarterback. Getting a quarterback would make sense. It also made a lot of sense in 1999 when the Browns began looking for a quarterback.

Now the flavor of the day is, supposedly, Mississippi wide receiver Laquon Treadwell. That would make sense since the only spot where the Browns are weaker than quarterback is wide receiver.

And if Treadwell isn’t there, the second option is, supposedly, Michigan State offensive tackle Jack Conklin. That would make sense, too, because the Browns need a right tackle and also an heir apparent to future Pro Football Hall of Famer Joe Thomas at left tackle.

But Jack Conklin?

Really?

OK.

A lot of people seem to think the Browns will trade down – again – from No. 8 overall after already trading down from No. 2.

But, supposedly, they may trade back up if a guy they want is falling.

Then, just to inject a little more confusion into the process, Browns Vice President of Football Operations said the club has settled on its man at No. 8.

Yup, the Browns have everybody guessing, which is what you want if you’re the Browns. Every team wants to throw a smokescreen over their real plans so as to throw a smokescreen over their opponents.

Excuse us for a moment while we choke on all this smoke.

Former Browns General Manager Phil Savage, who, by the way, thinks his old team will move back to No. 15 after a trade with the Tennessee Titans, calls this time of year “silly season.” And as the draft draws closer, it gets even sillier, with a lot of people saying a lot of stuff, some of which may even be true, supposedly.

But it’s not really silly in another regard because of what’s at stake. What’s going to happen Thursday night – the draft order and who is going to draft select player, when – can change the course, both good and bad, for a number of teams.

So, especially in relation to the Browns, don’t believe anything you hear between now and Thursday night, but remember all of it.

For, after all, at least one of these stories has to be right, doesn’t it?

Well, doesn’t it?

Not if all those smart guys working for the Browns have anything to say about it.

And, at least to this point, apparently they have.